AN- I'm sorry that this is such a short chapter but unfortunately the kids and myself have come down with the flu and hubby has come down with what he claims is the worst case of the man flu ever, so I haven't got much writing done. To be honest, I haven't got much of anything done, yesterday or today. So hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to post a longer chapter.

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The surgeon glanced at nurse's notes and observations written in the patient's bedside notes that were clipped to the clipboard that hung at the end of the bed before looking back at his restless patient in the bed. The angry hives that had covered the young inspector's body had now faded to large red splotches, and the loud audible wheeze which had accompanied each breath he took the night before was gone.

"He started fighting both the tube and sedation about an hour ago." The nurse told the surgeon who nodded and silently handed her back the chart before he walked around the side of the bed and removed the small torch from his pocket.

"Have we got the film back from this morning's x-rays?" he asked over his shoulder as he turned his torch on and began to check his patient's pupil reactions.

"They should be on the nurse's desk by now. Do you want me to get them?"

The surgeon shook his head as he gently folded back the thin sheet that covered Steve's chest before removed the stethoscope, he carried around his neck, and fitted the earpieces into his ears, as he told her distractedly, "No, just grab me the report, I'll look at the x-rays after I have finished here."

The nurse nodded before slipping out of the room as the doctor placed the head of the stethoscope against Steve's chest and began to listen to his breath sounds before moving it to another area, frowning as he concentrated on listening closely for any sounds of crackling or wheezing.

Straightening up, he removed the stethoscope earpieces from his ears and left the stethoscope dangling around his neck as carefully lifted the sheet and covered Steve up again. He turned as the nurse returned to the room and handed him the X-ray report.

Perusing the report, he was relieved to see that the x-rays confirmed that the swelling and bleeding within Steve's skull was under control. Placing the report on the bedside table as he heard Steve softly moan and gag on the tube in his throat, he quickly grabbed Steve's hand and gently pushed it back down onto the bed preventing the restless, semi-conscious man from trying to pull the oxygen mask free from his face. Glancing at the nurse at the nurse, he softly ordered, "Let's remove the endotracheal tube and lower the sedation to allow him to wake up enough, so we can get an idea of just how much damage has been done and just what we are dealing with."

The nurse nodded as she turned to leave the room to get the kidney tray and gloves that they needed for the removing the tube from Steve's throat, before she paused at the door and turned back towards the surgeon, "What about his partner, Lieutenant Stone? He's already phoned this morning, anxious for an update."

Glancing at his patient, the surgeon frowned before he looked back at the nurse who standing in the doorway, waiting for his answer. "Phone him, and ask him to come in. I think we may need him to help calm our young friend here if he becomes agitated when he wakes up. I would rather not sedate him again, if we can avoid doing so."

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Pushing the scrambled eggs around her plate with her fork, Jeannie sighed as she cast a quick glance across the table at her father. All the lingering anger she felt yesterday after he had not called her to tell her about Steve's shooting melted away as she saw the dark, heavy circles under his eyes and the worried and fearful expression etched on his face as he stared into his untouched cup of coffee, lost in his own thoughts.

She still had so many questions about what had happened yesterday, and she couldn't shake the feeling that Mike had not yet told her everything about Steve's condition or the shooting. Looking down at her own untouched plate of food, she placed her fork back down on the plate and pushed her plate aside before she took a deep breath and looked back up at her father, determined to find out just what he wasn't telling her. "Mike-" she began, only to fall silent as the phone in the living room began to ring.

She stood up and slowly followed Mike into the living room as he jumped up and hurried to answer the phone. She could feel her heart racing as she saw the fear in Mike's eyes and his knuckles whiten as he clutched the phone a little tighter against his ear as the person on the other end of the line introduced themselves and she instantly knew it was someone from the hospital. Holding her breath, she watched Mike as he turned away from her, listening to the caller before thanking them and telling them that he was on his way.

"Mike?" she asked tentatively as Mike slowly hung up before he turned back towards her. "Has something happened to Steve?"

"That was the hospital. The nurse said that the doctor has started lowering Steve's sedation to allow him to wake up and would like me there when Steve wakes up." Mike smiled with relief, snagging his coat and hat from the chair where he had dropped them after getting home last night before he turned and headed towards the door.

"Wait Mike, I'm coming with you." Jeannie called after him as she grabbed her handbag and ran to catch up with him.

Mike hesitated as he reached the door, before he turned back to Jeannie and gently suggested, "I don't think that's a good idea, Sweetheart, not yet."

Jeannie froze, momentarily shocked that Mike did not want her to be there when Steve regained consciousness. "Why not, Mike?" she asked softly before she remembered the nagging feeling she had had that Mike had not told her everything. Narrowing her eyes, the anger she had been feeling earlier returned with white- hot intensity as she demanded, "Just what the bloody hell are you trying to hide from me?"